Who knew when the season started that J.R. Smith would have more game-winning buzzer-beaters than Carmelo Anthony by 2013?

In the Valley of the Sun, Smith made another step in his transformation from streaky gunner to clutch leader by ending the Suns’ hopes with another last-second shot. Before the game-winner, he nailed a tough turnaround jump shot at the top of the key to tie the game at 97 with 10.6 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Sebastian Telfair accidentally stepped out of bounds to give Knicks the rock with one second left.

Cue the Knickerbocker heroics … and the demise of the Suns, who were already reeling from another Smith blow. Just before halftime, Phoenix’s Goran Dragic got out on the break when a streaking Smith ran by and clipped his right leg. Dragic fell in pain, left the game and didn’t return.

For those that are new around these parts, the Horry scale examines a game-winning buzzer-beater (GWBB) in the categories of difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or behind at the time?), importance (playoff game or garden-variety Kings-Pistons game?), and celebration (is it over the top or too chill? Just the right panache or needs more sauce?), and gives it an overall grade on a scale of 1-5 Robert Horrys, the patron saint of last-second daggers.

How does Smith’s shot Wednesday night stack up? Let’s take a look.

Difficulty

With one second left, Jason Kidd dished Smith an inbounds pass on the baseline. In a singular motion, J.R. turned right, launched a 21-foot left fallaway leaner over the outstretched arms of P.J. Tucker. The pass was on the money enough to give Smith just a sliver of daylight to get his shot off. The only thing Phoenix could have done is send a taller defender at him. Easier said than done, because then that taller defender would’ve had to keep up with Smith prior to the pass. Considering the elusive quickness of Smith, that’s a lot to ask for. In short, this was a tremendous shot.

Game Situation

Game knotted at 97 in regulation. A miss puts the game in overtime.

Importance

Playing without Anthony and Raymond Felton on the road and coming off a Christmas Day loss to the Lakers, the Knicks were faced with a test. A win over the Suns would not only notch their first win of the road trip, but establish the Knicks as a team that can get it done in sticky spots.

With the game close down the stretch, Smith made play after play to keep his team close. He tied the game at 97, then ended it with two more points. In the absence of ‘Melo, the Knicks have called on Smith twice at the end of games. Twice, their faith has been rewarded. Twice, on the road.

Celebration

Steve Novak sees the ball drop in the net in front of him and jets to a jacked-up Smith. Beating his teammates there, he wraps his arms around Smith as Tyson Chandler and Kidd comes jumping over the top. James White joins, then Marcus Camby flies out of nowhere to mob his heroic teammate. More arrive as they slowly walk toward midcourt. Genuine brotherly happiness.

Grade

4 1/2 Horrys. Some of you are thinking “whoa…easy now.” Four-and-a-half Horrys seems like a lot. The team wasn’t down. It was only the Suns. And he at least had a little room to get the shot off. All true. But so is this:

a) The Knicks were playing without their best player and starting point guard.b) This was on the road. Road games are road games … whether the opponent is the Heat or Bobcats.c) Smith led team down stretch, tying game on arguably a tougher shot than the coup de gras itself.d) This was second time this season — this month — that Smith finished off team when his number was called.e) The celebration unfolded organically; euphoric enough to play up the moment, cool enough to keep it in perspective.

14 Comments

Have to give mention to J-Kidd’s fast hands on D…. without that deflection Gortat had a dunk as time expired and Suns would have won. Nothing against J.R. but this win wasn’t just about a clutch couple of shots in the last 11 seconds.

4 and a half horries is to high. The game was not on the line and it is not the playoffs, so I say 3 horries at most. It was a touch fall away to hit but the pressure was not at its highest. E.G Game 7 playoff game down by 1!!! is surely where you should be awarding 4+ horries

4.5 seems fair. Yes, they weren’t down by 1 but if we’re taking into consideration other factors leading up to that moment, consider his efforts ~1:28, stripping the ball from Telfair on the fast break and then diving for that loose ball. Although Brown hit the shot over him afterwards, it’s the intangibles like that, that can make a difference in keeping a team motivated. Also, J.R. hitting the clutch jump shot previously at 10 seconds with 1 second left on the shot clock is pretty sweet.

Yeah well if the referee’s actually paid attention to the shot clock they wouldn’t have had that situation in the first place. Anyway a flagrant 2 is when you have unnecessary AND excessive contact and for Smith, he nudged him from behind. Unnecessary but not excessive. If you want an example of flagrant 2, look at Pittman’s foul on Stephenson, Shaq’s foul on Rodney Stuckey or Haslem’s foul on Hansborough.

1st – tie game. Mr. Horry himself use to win the game with 1 or two points down. so it’s even, you can ‘easily’ go for a shot. Buw if u re one down, or even two down and need a three…thats for me, when the Horry points are rising up!

2nd – regular season game. Not for bad, but the playoffs are the time, when shots like this are counting!

i give it 4.. really tough shot. to be worth 5 i think they would needed to have be down before the shot went up or if the shot won a clinching/pivotal game in the playoffs. still amazing shot. what will they do next time they’re in that situation and melo is on the floor? i’d draw up a play for jr smith